Having built a strong presence over three decades, IBM i has proven to be a timeless, technological marvel known for its unwavering reliability, robustness, and affordability. To truly appreciate the significance of IBM i (formerly known as AS400), consider these numbers: 96 percent of the world’s largest banks, 90 percent of the world’s largest insurance companies, and a remarkable 71 out of 100 Fortune 500 companies rely on IBM system mainframes. These staggering statistics underscore the enduring popularity and indispensability of IBM i in the corporate landscape. In this blog, we will explore the benefits and use cases of IBM i application development along with strategies for successful application development.
Why You Should Choose IBM i for Application Development?
- Stability: IBM i is a robust and stable platform that minimizes downtime and guarantees continuous operations for mission-critical applications.
- High Performance: IBM i processors are bullet-proof and their CPUs are 3-5 times more powerful than their counterparts.
- Secure Database: The platform boasts a reliable, secure, and integrated database. The DB2 database ensures efficient development of database-driven applications.
- Range of Options: IBM i offers a range of options catering to diverse business requirements. Businesses can choose anything from inexpensive entry-level systems to powerful servers.
IBM i: Business Use Cases Across Industries
| Industry | Use Cases |
| Finance | Core Banking SystemsData Warehousing Payment Processing and Clearing Investment Management Systems |
| Retail | Point of Sale Systems Inventory and Order Management Supply Chain Management E-Commerce Integration |
| Insurance | Policy Management Systems Claims Processing Systems Customer Information Systems Risk Management and Underwriting Applications |
| Manufacturing | Enterprise Resource Planning Systems Inventory Management Quality Control Systems Production Planning and Control |
Common IBM i Application Development Challenges
- Talent Shortage
RPG is a high-level programming language used for developing business applications. While it remains a stable language for IBM i application development, since the language is quite dated, finding professionals with proficiency in RPG development and its nuances can be challenging. From 2017 to 2022, approximately a third of active RPG and COBOL developers retired and IBM i Marketplace Survey indicates that 46% of respondents cited IBM i skills as a leading concern.
2. Legacy System Integration
With IBM i being a legacy system, it must be integrated with newer technologies to bring it up to speed with the current technological developments. Connecting such legacy and modern systems is complex, calling for careful planning and execution to ensure a hassle-free transition without upending existing operations.
3. Scalability and Flexibility
In order to accommodate ever-increasing workflows or integrate new-age technologies, you may have to scale AS400 systems, which can be rather complex and resource-intensive. Moreover, the programming is done using RPG language in fixed form and modern developers may find it challenging to modernize the code.
4. Security Concerns
A majority of organizations rely heavily on AS400 systems, with 75-100 percent of their workload running on these systems. Even though IBM AS400 RPG boasts a robust security foundation, ensuring security and protection against emerging threats and vulnerabilities is paramount. Staying abreast of the latest cybersecurity practices, conducting thorough audits and assessments, and regularly updating security standards and patches can be demanding.
5. Frequent Updates
IBM regularly released Program Temporary Fixes(PTF) and updates for AS400 systems to ensure data security, compliance, performance enhancements, and more. As such, caution must be exercised during AS400 application development to ensure minimum disruption and downtime.
Strategies for Successful IBM i Application Development
The aforementioned IBM i application development challenges can be overcome by the following strategies:
Productivity Tools
In the fast-moving business world, ensuring efficient IBM i application development is crucial. Further, considering that data is a crucial currency for businesses, leveraging productivity tools to facilitate cross-referencing and documentation helps ensure product development at lightning speed. Developers no longer have to spend inordinate lengths of time trying to find programs that utilize particular files of fields. Even if you hire RPG developers who are seasoned in the field, they may have to put in hours researching where to make changes or ascertaining the impact of the changes on other systems and programs. However, with productivity solutions, developers can stress less on searching for dependencies and focus better on making impactful changes, ultimately contributing to efficient application development.
Supercharged RDi
IBM RDi or Rational Development for i is an integrated development environment for IBM i application development and modernization. It offers a user-friendly GUI environment, enabling developers to edit code and screen design more efficiently. With 67% of survey respondents highlighting the importance of tools integration plugins in their IDE, it becomes evident that developers prioritize a seamless integration of functionalities when editing codes. RDi is highly customizable and enables strategic planning and management of the end-to-end AS400 application development process. Furthermore, by integrating development tools designed for multiple users with RDi, enabling easy determination of object relationships, and providing object references to catalyze design changes, the value offered by RDi can be supercharged.
Legacy System Integration
With a whopping 86% of users relying on IBM i for over 10 years, the need to integrate legacy systems with modern applications cannot be overstated. Ensuring seamless integration, particularly in the context of IBM i application development, requires strategic planning and execution. Harnessing modern APIs and middleware solutions stimulates smooth communication and data exchange. Further, accounting for data transformation and mapping will help harmonize data between legacy systems and modern solutions. Also, ensure that both the legacy system and modern applications have access to updated, accurate, and consistent data. As such, hiring RPG developers with expertise in integration and modernization can help bridge the gap between tradition and innovation.
Strategic Talent Recruiment
The paucity of RPG development talent can be overcome through strategic recruitment. Seek candidates who not only have technical expertise in IBM AS400 RPG but also exhibit a genuine passion for continuous learning. A team cultivated with individuals dedicated to staying abreast of evolving technologies guarantees a forward-thinking approach that aligns seamlessly with the platform’s ever-changing requirements.
Conclusion
Despite being perceived as a legacy system, IBM i still stays relevant in today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape and is widely used by businesses across an array of industries. With the right IBM i application development strategies in place, businesses can harness the full potential of the platform, thereby ensuring its continued relevance in the highly dynamic and competitive market.
